Saint Petersburg

Alexandrinsky Theatre

1832-1919

Over the years the theatre has had the following names: 1832–1919 – Alexandrinsky Theatre 1920–1936 – State Academic Drama Theatre 1937–1991 – State Academic Drama Theatre named after Alexander Pushkin 1991–2020 – Russian State Academic Drama Theatre named after Alexander Pushkin (Alexandrinsky Theatre) since 2020 – National Drama Theatre of Russia (Alexandrinsky Theatre) The history of the Alexandrinsky Theatre starts with the Russian Theatre for the Performance of Tragedies and Comedies, established by decree of Empress Elizabeth in 1756. It was Russia’s first state public theatre. The troupe was led by actor Fyodor Volkov, and playwright Alexander Sumarokov became its artistic director. In 1832, the theatre moved into a new building designed by the architect Carlo Rossi. In honor of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, it was named the Alexandrinsky Theatre and became the principal imperial stage for drama in the Russian Empire. The theatre troupe included such celebrated actors as Nikolai Dyur, Varvara Asenkova, Andrei Karatygin, Ivan Sosnitsky, Vladimir Davydov, Konstantin Varlamov, Maria Savina, Pavel Svobodin, Mamont Dalsky, Polina Strepetova, and Vera Komissarzhevskaya. The Alexandrinsky Theatre premiered many landmark performances of Russian drama, including Nikolai Gogol’s “The Government Inspector” (1836), Alexander Sukhovo-Kobylin’s “Krechinsky’s Wedding” (1856), Alexander Ostrovsky’s “The Thunderstorm” (1859), Aleksey Tolstoy’s “The Death of Ivan the Terrible” (1867), Anton Chekhov’s “Ivanov” (1889), Leo Tolstoy’s “The Power of Darkness” (1895), and Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull” (1896). In 1917, Vsevolod Meyerhold staged legendary production of Mikhail Lermontov’s “Masquerade”. The sets and costumes were designed by Alexander Golovin, with music composed by Alexander Glazunov. This performance marked the final major premiere of the imperial stage. Following the October Revolution of 1917, the Alexandrinsky Theatre was nationalized and incorporated into the Directorate of State Theatres. In 1920, it was renamed the State Academic Drama Theatre. The online collection of the Bakhrushin Theatre Museum includes costume and set design sketches, archival documents, photographs, and other materials related to the Alexandrinsky Theatre’s performances between 1832 and 1919.